par 1718 – Selections from Captain Taverner’s Second Report relating to Newfoundland
The Bay of Maynelon [MIQUELON], affords a very good beeche for 400 boats, and Timber enough for building of Stages, the bay is Tolerably good for Ships to ride, in being clear ground, no Sea to hurt them, but what comes out of the Bay of Fortune; 14 Saile of ffrench Ships, have fishd in this place at Once, The ffrench accounted it one of their best fishing places, the last winter a great Storme, broke out the beech on the So. side of this Bay, into a large ffresh water pond, which ever since hath kept open, by a Strong Tide, running there with the Ebb, and flood, so that at present, a Ship of 70 Tunns, may goe in Load into the Pond, and lye safe at all Times, should this new harbour Continue soe, it will be of great use, to Ships wch fish there, hereafter, in that Bay is abundance of pasture for Cattle and many Acres of Land, which plowd up would Yeild good corn, there is alsoe on the same Island, lying to the South of the Bay of Myelon a large Bay, which I have named in my Chart the Bay of Dun, on the North side of it is a Tide harbour for boats and Small Sloops. there’s abundance of Seales, and severall 100 Acres of good pasture Land, round it, where the Grass growes from Two to Three foot high, there is no trees or stones between this harbour, and the South of the Bay of Dunn till you come to Anglois; the Soile is black earth, Intermixd with Sand, there are severall Sand hills in this bay. I went to the harbour of Dunn, in the Month of June last digd up some of the ground, sowd in it Peese, Oates, Carrots and Turnops. in the Month of Septembr. I sent a boat to see what Crop I had, they brought very good Carrotts, Peese, Oates, and Turnips, as large as a Mans head, the Sweetest that ever I tasted, this is the only place I saw in Newfoundland fitt for keeping a large Stock of Cattle, or for Manuring, that Bay and harbour, affords no sort of fishing.
Anglois [LANGLADE] is high Land, on the No. Woods, but all other parts barren.
In my humble Opinion St. Peters [SAINT-PIERRE] exceeds all the rest for Codfishing, it’s a good harbour, and beech might be made for 300 Boats. That the Land would be farr better was bank Verte Surveyd.
I now return to ffortune [FORTUNE] where the 9th: Wind at No.No. East in the morning left that place, in the Evening arrivd at Point Mayo, where was oblidgd, to lye that night the next day went to Lamelin [LAMALINE], tarried there till the 26th the Wind being fair, left Lamelin arrivd at Burein [BURIN] the 28th.
[March] 29th Went all to work to clear the Delore out of the Ice and grave her, which we accomplishd and got her ready to Saile by the 9th of Aprill, loaded on board her what provisss and Necessarys, we had left of our Winter Stock, designing for St. Peters and from thence to the Westward accordingly I ordered Robert Duffet, and five Men more, with one Mountaine a ffrench pillot to saile the first fair wind, designeing myself to goe along the Coast, in the boat which I got built, for the publick Service, to take some bearings and Distances of some Rocks, and Shoals, which lay between Burein and St. Peters, the 10th: Wind being N:W:t not fair for the Delore to saile, Departed from Burein for St. Peters in the boat because in her we could row along the Shoar, but in my Pasage the Wind blowing very hard at N:W: stopd at a place calld Chambre were went ashoar, and ordered the Men to take care of the boat, I went about half a Mile from them tarrying about Two houres, to View the Countrey with a french plantor, that were goeing to St. Peters with me, while we were absent, the people which kept the boat being Negligent, suffered her to come in amongst the Rocks where the Sea fild her, washt out, and lost, the Ruther, Sails Masts Grapling, all mine and Mens Cloaths, an Azimuth Compass all our Victuals, Liquors, and every thing that was in the boat except Three Oars, when I came to the Boat seing her in this Condition, I was exceedingly Surprizd, gott a Rope and hauld the boat of the Rocks, baild the Water out of her, by Providence no part of her was broken under Water, but in many places above the Watter, it was very cold, and Froze prodigously we were all wett in getting of the boat, haveing nothing to make a fire ashoar, no Cloaths, Bedding, Victuals, or Liquor but 3 Oars to Row with, the Wind continuing to Blow very hard, being almost Night and Near Three Leagues to Little St. Laurance where livd a planter, these Circumstances were very hard, tho rather I thought it Impossible for us to Row there against such a Gale of wind, which blew Directly out of that harbour, at last resolved to push for it, which we did the Wind abateing, we gott to the planter’s house by 10 a’clock that night, the planter, was very kind giveing us the Liberty of his house, to dry our Cloaths and Warm our selves, and alsoe Supplyd us with Masts Sails Oars, and provissions, to carry us to Saint peters. one of our Men named William Ryall had his foot burnt with the Cold, after Three Days Tarryance, we proceeded to St. Peters but meeting, with Contrary winds put into the harbour of Lamelin, after 4 Days Tarryance there went for St. Peters, at my arrivall heard the bad news of the Delores being lost, and all the provisss. &ca. in her, and nothing saved but the small boat, and men this news was very afecting to me, not knowing what Course to take, no Ships then arrivd, not above 4 or 5 ffrench men, which winterd on the Island, they could not Supply me with any except 2 lb. of bread, which was very little to maintain 14 men withall, Considering had nothing else, I at last prevaild with them, to lend me some Powder and Shott, soe I went a Gunning every Day, in the little boat, they had saved belonging to the Delore, haveing good Success, killd as many fowle, and Seale as maintaind our People Tolerably well for near Three Weeks, when Capt Tuper of Guernsey, arriv’d of whom I gott a little Supply of proviss, being left in such a Condition, by those Misfortunes, I thought it not adviseable, to enter into any further Engagemts, on the Accot. of the publick, for Continuing of the Survey without Orders, and at the same Time, I had reason to expect that the Govrnment would order me a Sloop for the Service as propos’d in my Memoriall from Placentia. soe I resolved to Employ those men in Catching some ffish, and doeing other things whereby they might defray the Charge, I should be at from that time on their accots. and that whenever, I receivd any orders from the Governmt they were ready in Case, I should have any Occasion for them, in the publick Service, and accordingly they proceeded on the ffishing &ca.
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The last Year after I left St. Peters [SAINT-PIERRE], Seventeen of the Inhabitants which had taken the Oath, according to the Treaty of peace, went to Cape Britton, carrying all their Moveable Effects with them, soe that their houses, Stages &ca have been Voyd ever since, they pretend that as they took the Oath, have the same Liberty, as any Subject of Brittain, whatsoever, that they will return back and Possess those plantats, when they please that none shall use their plantats, without they buy them, & if anyone makes use of them, shall pay severe Rent, for these Reasons, none of his Majstys Subjects, from Brittain, nor from the former English Settlements, are yett come into any of these places to ffish notwithstanding one boat at St. Peters, &ca have taken as much ffish, these Two last Seasons, as Three boats, at most of the former English Settlements, I have most of the Drafts by me, of the plantations belonging to those Men that are gone to Cape Britton.
Those Inhabitants which took the Oath and remained at St. Peters [SAINT-PIERRE], have all their ffishermen, Apprentices, Clothing, ffishing Craft, and most of their provisss, brought to St. Peters from ffrance, in ffrench Ships, which Stop there in their way to Cape Britton.
Source : http://www2.swgc.mun.ca/nfld_history/CO194/TavernerReport2.htm
